Hydraulic swivel having improved mud joint



April 7, 1942 e. R. TREMokADA 2,278,807

HYDRAULIC SWIVEL HAVING IMPROVED MUD JOINT mventor Gttorneg Aw '7, w42, G. R. TREMOLADA I 2,278,307

HYDRAULIC SWIVEL HAVING IMPROVED MUD -JOINT Filed March v27, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f4 i 70 l 57 if 57 i 2/ f4 n ,/f/-' 22 i i mventor:

HYDRAULIC SWIVEL HAVING IMPROVED MUD JOINT Filed March 27, 1940 #Sheets-Sheet 3 38 a 38 i? 5 42 37 l l'. 4/

57 y 57 69 57 E 57y 1 I l f 90 55 922-- ZZ-j 59 99 55 60 5/ 47 l I 52 [/45 l 46 \49. vr '5 48 "A\-/2 r 5 I v I Smaeutor; f5 @1ML/Emo ,Q 7kb-Maman,

l i v Cttornel Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UTED' STATES .ATET @FFICE HYDRAULIC' SWIVEL HAVING IMPROVED MUD JOINT fornia Application March. 2.7, 1940, Serial No. 326,259

14 Claims. (Cl. Z55-2,5)

My invention relates to swivels such as used in the rotary drilling of wells, and relates in particular to a swivel wherein the load of a string of drill pipe is carried on a body of oil. interposed between a piston and the end wall of a cylinder in which the piston operates.

In the preferred form of device on which my present invention. is. an improvement, a cylinder is equipped so that it may be suspended in. vertical position from the hoisting equipment of a derrick.. In this cylinder there is a rotatable and axiallyl movable piston having a piston rod which extends. downward through a packed opening in lower end wall of the cylinder, the piston having a travelling guide to maintain itin coaxial relation to the cylinder and beingsupported on a body of hydraulic fluid, substantially as set forth in detail in my copending application Serial No. 236,747, filed September 19, 1938, for-improved hydraulic expanding swivel. Itis an object of my present invention to provide a hydraulic swivel of the general character set forth hereinabove wherein a swivelled fluid connection is applied to the upper portion. of the drilling string for delivering intoA the drilling string a suitable drillingr fluid', such as rotary mud or water, and wherein the swivelled fluid connection and the cylinder of the device are connected for relative axial movement and in such manner that ing string and a mud `ioint connected. to the drilling string below the rotary swivel, with extensible means extending from the mud joint to the body or shell of the rotary swivel so as to permit relative axial movement of the mud joint and the shell of the swivel, such extensible interconnecting means having huid passages through which a cooling medium may be circulated between the rotary swivel and the mud joint.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotary swivel and associated mud joint wherein the mud joint has cooling chambers to receive a cooling medium such as waterr and upwardly extending tubes which have sliding engagement with the shell of the hydraulic swivel so as to communicate with a cooling chamber in which a iluid cooling medium is circulated to cool the operating parts of. the rotary swivel.

Further'objects and advantages of thev invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is aseetional View of a preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1 vpartly sectioned on the-'plane 2--2 of Fig. 1. p

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken as indicated by the. line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section to enlarged scale'taken as'indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5- is a cross-section taken asy indicated byl the line 5--5 of Fig. 3. f

As shown in the. drawings, .the assembly. in.- cludes a rotary swivel I0 having a bail II at its upper end whereby it may be connected to a sui-table suspension means, such as a travelling block, in a derrick, and a mud joint I2 disposed in a position between the rotary swivel I0 and the upper end of a kelly bar I3` constituting the upper extremity of a string of drill pipe.

The rotary swivel comprises a cylinder I4 having therein a thrust bearing means in the form of a piston I5 which is'secured to a piston rod I6. The rod i6 projects down through a co,- axial opening l1 in a lower end wall I8 for the cylinder, this end wall I8 cooperating with'th'e piston l5 to form a chamber I9 in which a body of hydraulic fluid, such as oil, may be conned. the upper surface of such body of hydraulic fluid engaging and supporting the piston I5 and accordingly forming a lower bearing element to take the downward thrust of the piston I5 which serves as the upper bearing element. The endv wall I8 is secured to the lower end of they cylinder ,lll by use of stud bolts 2D., and has an upywardly projecting hubV 2| surrounding a porbeing placed below the gland 25 to catch any oil leakage which may pass downward around the shaft and having a spigotr 21 whereby the accumulated oil may be periodically drained. A piston guide 28 is associated with the piston so as to move axially therewith in the cylinder I4, this piston guide 28 being mounted on the portion 29 of the rod I6 which projects above the piston I5, by means of roller bearings 30.

Near the upper end of the cylinder I4, such as below the laterally projecting trunnions 3l which engage the bail II, there is a radial fiange 32, and at the lower end of the cylinder I4 there is a radial ange 33 to which the lower end wall I8 is bolted. A tubular shell 34 comprising a plate rolled to cylindrical form is placed around the cylinder I4 and is connected to the flanges 32 and 33 in fluid tight relation, as by welding for example, so as to form around the cylinder I4 a chamber for circulation of a temperature stabilizing or cooling medium which is ordinarily water. Openings are extended through the flange 33 in directions parallel to the axis of the rod I6, through which openings 36 tubular conduit members 31 may slide. The openings 36 are preferably placed on diametrally opposite sides of the flange 33 and tubular guide members 38 are secured in alignment with the openings 38 in downwardly projecting position, by means of cap screws 39 which pass through flanges formed at the upper ends of the members 38. Packing chambers 48 are formed around the tubular member 31 preferably in the plane of joinder of the guide members 38 with the lower end wall I8.

The mud joint I2 comprises a cylindrical body 4I having threaded connection through use of a coupling sleeve 42 with the lower end of the rod I6. The lower end of the member 4I has threaded connection through use of a box-pin fitting 43 with the kelly bar I3. The member 4I is hollow so as to provide a passage 44 leading upward from the lower end thereof to a radial port 45 which communicates with the outer face of an enlargement or collar 46 formed on the body 4I intermediate the ends thereof. The mud joint I2 also comprises a shell 41 molded in the general form of a sleeve to t around the hollow body 4I and having an annular drilling uid passage 48 in opposing relation to the enlargement 46, this passage 48 having a radial inlet port 49 which -communicates with a goose neck tting 50 by which a rotary hose may be connected to the passage 48 for delivery thereto i of a drilling fluid which may be rotary mud. The shell 41 hasgchambers `5I and 52 formed thereon by walls 53 which extend upward so as to form necks 54 having flanges 55 positioned so as to receive flanges 56 disposed lat the lower ends of the tubular members 31 and Ibeing secured thereto by means of screws 51. The shell 41 has an inlet port 62 lcommunicating with the passage 6U and `an outlet port 63 communicating with the passage 6 I At the upper and lower ends thereof, the shell 41 is provided with upwardly and downwardly projecting frames 64 to carry bearing cases 65 which enclose roller bearings 66 by which the shell 41 is supported for coaXi-al rotation on the hollow body 4I, thereby relieving the packing means 59 from undue lateral strains. The roller bearing means 68 are spaced from the enlargement 46 by sleeves 61 which extend from the shoulders at the ends of the enlargement 46 through the packing means 59 to engage the inner bearing races 68 of the bearing means 66, threaded sleeves 69 being applied to the outer ends of the races 68 to hold them in place.

The upper end of the hub 2I which projects upward from the lower end wall I 8 has an annular recess 10 from which an oil passage 1I extends downward through the hub 2I and to the lower face of the end wall I8 so as to connect through a fitting 12 with `a conduit 13 which is preferably of flexible character. Lubrication of the bearing 22 is accomplished through use of oil circulation passages 14 which extend radially inward from the vertical portion of the passage 1I below the annular recess 10. The piston I is provided with a downwardly projecting plug 15 which enters and closes the recess as the piston I5 approaches the upper end of the hub 2|.

The space 16 above the piston I5 is also lled with oil in the ordinary practice of the invention, and as the piston moves down from a raised position, the oil which is released through the passage 1I is conducted into the upper space or chamber 16 of the cylinder through the conduct 13, 4a control valve 11, a flexible conduit 18, a fitting 19, which is connected to the flange portion of the lower end wall I8, and an oil transfer pipe 80 which passes up through the chamber so as to connect through a welded hollow insert 8l with a vertical opening 82 which communicates with the interior of a cap 83 secured by bolts to the upper end of the cylinder I0.

In the operation of the rotary swivel the cylinder IIJ is lowered relative to the piston I5 so that oil will be displaced from the upper chamber 16 to the lower chamber I9. When the piston I5 is in raised position the valve 11 may be closed so as to confine the body of oil in the lower chamber I9. The swivel may be then lifted so that the weight of the drilling string will be carried by the rod I6 and the piston I5 which rests on the body of oil in the chamber I9. At the time the drilling fluid may be fed under pressure through the rotary hose to the annular passage 48 of the shell 41 so that it will then pass through the ports and the opening 44 of the tubular member 4I into the upper end of the string of drill pipe. An inlet 85 is connected to the water inlet port 62 so that water will then flow through the passage 60 into the first chamber 5I of the mud joint I2. This water will then pass up through the right hand tube 31 into the chamber 35 to cool the wall of the cylinder I4 and the thrust bearing means therein. From the chamber 35 the water will ow out through the left hand tubular member 31 into the second chamber 52 of the mud joint and will then pass through the annular passage 6I to the outlet port 63 to which a water discharge line 86 may be connected. The tubular members 31 have, in addition to their function of connecting the chambers 35, 5I, and 52 into a single circulating system, the function of associating the rotary swivel and the mud joint I2 so that they will not have relative rotation but merely relative axial movement as the piston I5 and the rod I8 move relative to the cylinder I4.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of means for cooling the packing means 59, so that it will not become overheated, thereby greatly increasing the useful life of the packing to an extent shown by tests to be substantially three times the life of the packing where it is employed without the cooling means disclosed. This cooling means comprises chambers 90, individually identified as a and 9927, formed within the upper and lower wash-pipes or sleeves 61 adjacent the upper and lower packing means 59, to receive a flow of a cooling medium, such as water from the passages 6d and Si.

These chambers 9Go and S'b may be formed' by providing annular depressions 9.1 and 92 in either the interior faces of the sleeves 'lor in the external wall' of the cylindrical. body Ms, but in the present practice of the invention I have shown both of the depressions or shallow depressions in use, whereby an increased width of chamber is obtained.' The cooling ii-uid may be. fed through the chambers 90a, and Sith in the following manner. The packing means E@ is provided with an annular spacer 53, herein shownas a lantern, intermediate the ends of the packing means, and providing passage means 9i ex tending from the inner to the vouter face of the spacer $3. Packing material of suitable char* acter, for example, rings 96, is preferably disposed both above and below the spacer. Each sleeve 61 has openings 91 therein to' connect the associated chamber Sil with' the adiac'ent passage 95, and the walls 88 of' the shellY di, surrounding the packing means 53, are provided with inlet and outlet openings 98 and 9.9 tof connect the passages 95 of the upper and lower spacers 93 respectively with the water passages 60 and 6I. In the arrangement shown, an effective cooling of the packings is obtained. The water in the chambers' Sb takes heat from the sleeves 61 constituting the inner walls of the packing chambers. The water which iows through the passages Ei' also absorbs. heat from the packing, and the surrounding walls 6 of the packing chambers transfer heat from the packing to the water flowing in the respective upper and lower passages @il and 6l.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly oi the character described, the combination of: a swivel body for connection to a suspension means, said body having thrust bearing means therein and a passage for circulation of a cooling medium in heat exchanging relation to said thrust bearing means; a suspension member extending down from said thrust bearing means ing a shell with walls forming a passage for ciry culation vor a cooling medium; conduit means f' connecting said passages of said swivel body andi said mud joint, said conduit means being so formed as to permit limited axial movement of said swivel body and said mud joint, and thereby. forming a continuous passage including said passage of said swivel body and said passage of said mud joint; and means for circulating a cooling medium through the continuous passage thus formed.

2. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly cf the character described, the combination of a swivel body for connection to a travelling block in a derrick, said body having thrust bearing means therein and having a chamber for circulation of a cooling medium in heat exchanging relation to said thrust bearing means, said chamber having a downwardly faced opening; a suspension member extending down from said thrust bearing means for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes; a mud joint for connection to the upper portion of said string of drill pipes, said mud joint having walls forining a passage for circulation of said. cooling medium, said passage having an upwardly faced opening; a tubular member connecting said downwardly faced opening and said upwardly faced opening, said tubular member being slidable in at least one of said openings during relativeY axial movement of said swivel body and said mud joint, and connecting said chamber and said passage so as to form a continuous passage for circulation of said cooling medium; and means for circulating a cooling medium through said continuous passage.

3. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly of the character described, the combination of: a swivel body for connection to a travelling 4block in a derrick, said body having thrust bearing means therein and having a chamber for circulation of. a cooling medium in heat exchanging relation to said thrust bearing means, said chamber having a downwardly faced opening; a suspensionmember extending down from said thrust bearing means for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes; a mud joint for connection to the upper portion. of said string of drilly pipes, said` mud joint having walls forming apassage. for circulation of said cooling medium,

said passage -having an outer opening; a tubular member connecting said downwardly faced openingv and said outer opening, said tubular member being slidable in said downwardly faced opening during relative` axial movement of said swivel body and said mud joint, and connecting said: chamber and said passage so as to form a continuous passage for circulation or said. cooling medium; meansfor sealing aroimd said tubular member where it slides in said downwardly faced opening; and means for circulating a cooling: medium through sai-'dl continuous passage.

4'. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly oi theV character described, the combinationof: a swivel body for connection to a suspension means, said body having thrust bearing meansA therein and a passage for circulation of a cooling medium. in heat exchanging relation to said thrust bearing. means; a suspension'member extending down from said thrust bearing means for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes; a mud vjoint connected to the upper pcrtion of said string 'of drill pipes, said mud joint having a shell with walls forming a first chamber and .a second chamber for a cooling medium; conduit means connecting said first chamber with one part of said passage; conduit means connecting said second chamber with anotherparty of said passage, said conduit means thereby forming a continuous passage from said first chamber through said passage to said second chamber; and means for delivering a cooling medium to said iirst chamber and releasing said cooling medium from said second chamber.

5. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly of the character described, the combination of: a swivel body for connection to a travelling block of a derrick, said body having a passage for a cooling medium, said` passage having spaced downwardly faced openings; a thrust bearing means in said swivel body having a suspension member extending downwardly therefrom for connection to the uppery end of. a string of drill pipes; a. mud joint connected to the upper por-v tion of sai-d string of drill pipes, said mud joint having walls forming a rst chamber with an upwardly faced opening and a second chamber with an upwardly faced opening; a conduit con.- necting said opening of said rst chamber with one of said downwardly faced openings of. said swivel body; a conduit connecting said opening of said second chamber to the other of said downwardly faced openings of said swivel body, each of said conduits being in slidable relation to at least one of said openings which it connects; and means for delivering a cooling medium to said first chamber and releasing the same from said second chamber.

6. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly of the character described, the combination of: a swivel body for connection to a travelling block of a derrick, said body having a passage for a cooling medium, said passage having spaced downwardly7 faced openings; a thrust bearing means in said swivel body having a suspension member extending downwardly therefrom for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes; a mud joint connected to the upper portion of said string of drill pipes, said mud joint having walls forming a first chamber with an upwardly faced opening and a second chamber with an upwardly faced opening; a conduit connecting said opening of said first chamber with one of said downwardly faced openings of said swivel body; a conduit connecting said opening of said second chamber to the other of said downwardly faced openings of said swivel body, each of said -r conduits being in slidable relation to the downwardly faced opening to which it connects and being rigidly secured to said mud joint; and means for delivering a cooling medium to said first chamber and releasing the same from said second chamber.

7. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly of the character described, the combination of a swivel body for connection to a travelling block of a derrick, said body having a passage for a i cooling medium, said passage having spaced downwardly faced openings; a thrust bearing means in said swivel body having a suspension member extending downwardly therefrom; a

mud joint connecting the lower end of said sus- 1 pension member to the upper end of said drilling string, said mud joint comprising a tubular body having its upper end connected to said suspension member and its lower end connected to said drilling string and having lateral ports, a swivel shell on said tubular body having a drilling fluid passage disposed for connection to said ports of said tubular body, carrying packing means above and below said ports, and having a first chamber and a second chamber in heat exchanging relation to said packing means, each of said chambers having an outer opening; a conduit connecting said opening of said first chamber with one of said downwardly faced openings of said swivel body; a conduit connecting said opening of said second chamber to the other of said downwardly faced openings of said swivel body, each of said conduits being in slidable relation to the downwardly faced opening to which it connects and being rigidly secured to said mud joint; and means for delivering a cooling medium to said first chamber and releasing the same from said second chamber.

8. In a mud joint for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes, the combination of: a tubular body having means at its lower end for connecting it to the upper end of said string of drill pipes, an enlargement disposed between the ends thereof and a lateral port connecting the external face of said enlargement with the interior of said tubular body; a shell rotatable on said tubular body, having a drilling fluid passage positioned so as to communicate with said port, and having passage means for a cooling medium above and below said drilling fluid passage; bearing members at the ends of said shell to support said shell for rotation on said tubular body, said bearing members having parts engaging the ends of said enlargement whereby the axial position of said bearings and said shell on said tubular body is determined; and upper and lower packing means carried between said shell and said tubular body above and below said port.

9. In a mud joint for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes, the combination of: a tubular body having means at its lower end for connecting it to the upper end of said string of drill pipes, an enlargement disposed between the ends thereof, and a lateral port connecting the external face of said enlargement with the interior of said tubular body; a shell rotatable on said tubular body, having a drilling fluid passage positioned so as to communicate with said port, and having passage means for a cooling medium above and below said drilling fluid passage; bearing members at the ends of said shell to support said shell for rotation on said tubular body, said bearing members having parts engaging the ends of said enlargement whereby the axial position of said bearings and said shell on said tubular body is determined; upper and lower packing means carried between said shell and said tubular body above and below said port and adjacent said cooling uid passages; and walls rotating with said tubular body and forming adjacent said packing means chambers to receive a cooling medium, there being means to supply a cooling medium to said chambers.

10. In a mud joint for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes, the combination of: a tubular body having means at an end thereof to connect it to a string of drill pipes, said body having a lateral port intermediate its ends; a shell rotatable on said tubular body, having passage means to communicate with said port, said shell also having wall forming packing chambers around said tubular body above and below said port; packing means in said packing chambers; and thin cylindric walls mounted on and rotating with said tubular body and forming cooling chambers adjacent the inner limits of said packing chambers, said cooling chambers having means to supply them with a cooling medium.

1l. In a mud joint for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes, the combination of: a tubular body having means at an end thereof to connect it to a string of drill pipes, said body having a lateral port intermediate its ends; a shell rotatable on said tubular body, having passage means to communicate with said port, said shell also having wall forming packing chambers around said tubular body above and below said port and external cooling chambers around said packing chambers; packing means in said packing chambers; and cylindric walls secured upon the surface of and rotating with said tubular body and forming internal cooling chambers adjacent the inner limits of said packing chambers, said cooling chambers having means to supply them with a cooling medium.

12. In a mud joint for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes, the combination of: a tubular body having means at an end thereof to connect it to a string of drill pipes, said body having a lateral port intermediate its ends; a shell rotatable on said tubular body7 having passage means to communicate with said port, said shell also having wall forming packing chambers around said tubular body above and below said port and external cooling chambers around said packing chambers; packing means in said packing chambers; walls rotating with said tubular body and forming internal cooling chambers adjacent the inner limits of said packing chambers; means to supply a cooling medium to said external cooling chambers; and means connecting said external and said internal cooling chambers so as to convey said cooling medium between said external and said internal cooling chambers.

13. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly of the character described, the combination of: a swivel for connection to a suspension means, Said swivel having thrust bearing means therein and a passage for circulation of a cooling me.

dium in heat exchanging relation to said thrust bearing means; a suspension member extending down from said swivel for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes; a mud joint connected to the upper portion of said drilling strings, said mud joint having a shell with walls forming a passage for circulation of a cooling medium; conduit means connecting said passages of4 said swivel and said mud joint, said conduit means being so formed as to permit limited axial movement of said swivel and said mud joint, and thereby forming a continuous passage including said passage of said swivel and said passage of said mud joint; and means for circulating a cooling medium through the continuous passage thus formed.

14. In a rotary swivel and mud joint assembly of the character described, the combination of: a swivel for connection to a suspension means, said swivel having thrust bearing means therein and a passage for circulation of a cooling medium in heat exchanging relation to said thrust bearing means; a suspension member extending down from said swivel for connection to the upper end of a string of drill pipes and cooperating with said drill pipe so as to form a continuous drilling string; a mud joint connected to the upper portion of said drilling string, said mud joint having a shell with walls forming a passage for circulation of a cooling medium; conduit means connecting said passages of said swivel and said mud joint, said conduit means being so formed as to permit limited axial movement of said swivel and said mud joint, and thereby `forming a continuous passage including said passage of said swivel and said passage of said mud joint; and means for circulating a cooling medium through the continuous passage thus formed.

GUGLIELMO R. TREMOLADA. 

